If you are looking to keep things fresh and new with your partner, then a romantic date night (or day) is the perfect way to do so. However, finding new date night ideas can be daunting, especially if you feel like you have seen everything the city has to offer. With some amazing historic landmarks, fun activities, and cute hidden gems, Washington, D.C. may just be the perfect place to let loose with your significant other.  Let’s list some of Washington’s offerings ideal for date night. Whether you are a foodie, adventurer or hopeless romantic, there is something for everyone!

Cosy Date Night-In

If you are a couple who prefers a night in, there are great ways to explore the city or have fun from the comfort of your own home. The National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian museums offer virtual tours where you and your partner can “walk” through the exhibits while enjoying your favorite food and drink!

For more interactive dates, there are some great D.C.-inspired games you can access online. These can range from board games to puzzles surrounding the city’s culture and history. To make things more interesting, online casino platforms like Golden Panda allow you to play multiplayer games with your significant other or with other players! Explore live game shows like Cash or Crash, or popular offerings like roulette or poker. Having a fun and romantic game night at home is a great way to spend time with your partner.

Try a wine-tasting experience with Virginia Wineries. This is a great way to experience the taste of the city from your own home. Alternatively, consider coffee-tasting packages from local roasters, including Vigilante Coffee or Compass Coffee.

Entertainment & Night-life 

Exploring live performances or simply enjoying the atmosphere of the city’s unique nightlife is a great way to experience Washington. For instance, head to The Anthem at the Wharf for an intimate experience where you can enjoy shows by popular artists. Another gem that offers live performances includes the opera, symphonies and theatre productions at the Kennedy Center. You can also enjoy a couple’s night at the Center’s rooftop for a breathtaking views of the city to end off a magical evening. 

For couples who enjoy blues music, Blues Alley in Georgetown is ideal for a candlelit dinner accompanied by great live jazz performances. Another great way to bond is through laughter; what better way to do that than by heading over to DC Improv’s stand-up comedy club for a live show? Who doesn’t love dancing? Eighteenth Street Lounge and Café Citron are some great clubs, ideal for dancing the night away with your significant other.

Outdoor Escapes

For a scenic experiences, the Tidal Basin is one of the most romantic spots in the city and maintains its beauty all year round. Spring is particularly romantic as couples enjoy leisurely walks under the stunning pink and white cherry blossoms. As a bonus, the Tidal Basin offers some great views of the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial.

The National Arboretum is a wonderful opportunity to experience nature. This venue is perfect for those looking to get away from the city’s bustle. With tree-lined pathways for romantic strolls and stunning gardens for Instagram-worthy couple’s photos, the National Arboretum is perfect for a day date.

For couples who enjoy horseback riding and biking, Rock Creek Adventure Park is perfect. Additionally, the park offers miles of hiking trails to ensure countless hours of fun and bonding. With the beautiful greenery and a peaceful atmosphere, this park will no doubt bring you and your partner closer together.

Day-Trips and Romantic Getaways

For couples who’ve explored every corner of Washington, the city’s surrounding areas offer a wonderful change of scenery. Great Parks Fall offers a picturesque view of the Potomac River’s breathtaking waterfalls. By taking a short drive outside the city, you can enjoy a scenic hike with your partner, or take advantage of the scenery with a cute picnic set-up.

Across the Potomac River is Old Town Alexandria, a beautiful destination offering waterfront dining, unique galleries, and must-see boutique shops. A stroll down King Street can end in a romantic, candle-lit dinner at an intimate riverside restaurant.

Conclusion

Washington is vast, providing plenty of opportunities for sightseeing and exploration while providing a multitude of ways to keep romance alive. Besides the options listed here, the city has several great date spots, including unique dining experiences, animal & pet cafés, sip & painting experiences, and so much more. Consider exploring the city with your partner as a date idea in itself, and see what magic you can find within Washington, D.C.

Grab your glitter, don your mask, and get ready to sashay into 2025 at the Rainbow Masquerade NYE Party! This isn’t your average New Year’s Eve celebration—it’s the ultimate queer bash brought to you by Capital Pride, serving glamour, inclusivity, and fierce vibes as DC counts down to World Pride 2025.

Party with Purpose
This isn’t just a party—it’s a movement. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Capital Pride, ensuring that every drink you sip and every move you make on the dance floor supports advocacy, education, and programs for the LGBTQ+ community. As the world prepares to turn its eyes to DC for World Pride 2025, this event is your chance to show your pride and kick off the new year with purpose and panache.

Pick Your Experience
Whether you’re strutting solo, vibing with your chosen family, or ready to splurge on an epic NYE, we’ve got the perfect ticket for you:

• • General Admission: Your ticket to the most fabulous party in town includes a standard open bar, live entertainment, and access to a night filled with laughter, love, and legendary vibes.
  • Pride Privilege Pass: Go big or go home with premium open bar access, exclusive lounge area, and elevated spaces perfect for taking a breather (or snapping the perfect selfie).
  • Queer Royale: For groups ready to slay together, reserve a private table and enjoy VIP seating, dedicated service, and all the perks that make you and your crew the stars of the night.
  • Bubble Hideaway: Ready to turn up the heat? This exclusive hot tub cabana includes private seating, premium service, and a whole lot of bubbles—perfect for ringing in 2025 in true queer luxury. Only 1 available!

The Night’s Highlights
From jaw-dropping performances to a midnight champagne toast, the Rainbow Masquerade has it all:

• • Electrifying Entertainment: Live drag acts and aerial performers will keep you gagged and gooped all night long.
  • Immersive Decor: A photo-ready wonderland that’s as bold, beautiful, and diverse as our community.
  • Endless Cocktails: Enjoy unlimited drinks tailored to your ticket tier—it’s time to toast, darling!
  • Midnight Moment: Raise your glass as we countdown to midnight and step into a fabulous new year.

Why You Can’t Miss This
The Rainbow Masquerade isn’t just a party; it’s a celebration of everything that makes our community shine. As we look ahead to World Pride 2025, this event is your chance to start the year surrounded by love, pride, and unapologetic joy.

Whether you’re here for the performances, the community, or just a reason to celebrate, the Rainbow Masquerade NYE Party is the place to be.

Plan Your Night

• Date and Time: Tuesday, December 31, 2024 | 10 PM – 2 AM
• Location: 3400 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC
• Tickets: Snag yours now HERE

Cheers to a Fabulous Future
Ready to strut into 2025? Let’s make it one for the history books—full of pride, purpose, and a whole lot of glitter. Grab your ticket, bring your crew, and let’s start the countdown.

See you under the disco ball!

According to Dr. Constance Cole Blunt, medical oncologist and medical director of cancer prevention and outreach at  Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Baton Rouge, the best way to get people to screen for cancer is by participating in its Prevention on the Go program. 

In Louisiana, where cancer rates clock in at over 40% higher than the national average, this approach isn’t just innovative – it’s necessary. Too often in Louisiana, cancer is caught at an advanced stage, drastically limiting options for care and treatment. Breast cancer is the second most diagnosed cancer in the state and has a particularly devastating impact – although Louisiana is ranked 28th in the nation for breast cancer incidence, the breast cancer mortality rate in the state is the second greatest in the country.

The factors driving these statistics are complex and interwoven with the daily struggles many Louisiana residents face in accessing medical care. Many don’t have adequate insurance and are unable to stay up-to-date on regular physicals and medical check-ups, let alone receive comprehensive cancer screenings. Rural communities struggle with transportation to far-away medical centers and a lack of access is compounded by a lack of awareness about prevalent cancers, symptoms and risk factors. These challenges are even more pronounced for communities of color in the state, who face higher rates of poverty and lower rates of health insurance coverage compared with their white counterparts. Alarmingly, Black women in Louisiana are diagnosed more frequently and are more likely to die from breast cancer than the national average.

As the largest cancer care organization in Louisiana, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center builds its approach around addressing the unique barriers faced by communities across the state. The center brings together medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and strong partnerships with clinics and hospitals to deliver comprehensive cancer care and treatment to patients – all under one roof. Patients are supported by navigators who ensure they are referred to the appropriate mobile clinics and screening services in their own communities, and that high-risk patients are prioritized for doctor visits and have a plan for accessing them. Beyond medical treatment, patients grappling with a cancer diagnosis also have access to a full support system within the center, including a palliative care specialist to help manage pain, a therapist to support mental health during treatment and even a dietitian to ensure that they’re able to maintain a healthy diet outside of their treatment program. 

“We want patients to be able to walk through the door – whether it be to manage a breast cancer diagnosis or to get a screening – and get the entirety of their care taken care of in this one location,” says Dr. Blunt. “For a state where we know funding, resources and access are limited, having a patient be able to access a one-stop-shop to manage their treatment definitely makes the burden of cancer care easier for them.”

However, when breast cancer is diagnosed at a later stage, even the most comprehensive treatment plan offers limited hope for a cure. That’s why Mary Bird Perkins is focused on going beyond treatment to address the problem at its root by expanding early detection and prevention efforts across the state. 

In 2002, Mary Bird launched Prevention on the Go, a program designed to bring education and early detection services to locations where people live, work, worship, shop and play. As part of the program, Mary Bird drives their mobile clinic across the state, parking everywhere from church parking lots to workplaces and creating what Dr. Blunt calls a “low intimidation environment” where people can connect with healthcare providers in a familiar setting. The events offer cancer screenings, but also health history reviews and education about preventive care. They also often provide activities, food and cooking demonstrations for community members. 

“Our mobile clinics give information about detection and prevention to people in a way that’s easy to digest and fun,” explains Dr. Blunt. “Some patients come back and get their screenings with us, but sometimes these events just jumpstart somebody’s health journey. Both are important.”

For Dr. Blunt, Mary Bird Perkins’ mission is personal. When she was in undergrad, her mother’s best friend passed away from advanced ovarian cancer — her first exposure to both cancer and hospice care. 

“You don’t forget experiences like that,” says Dr. Blunt. “She was a working mom who gave everything to her children but had gone years without getting any cancer screenings. By the time her cancer was caught, it was very advanced.”

Mary Bird Perkins’ programming has made huge progress toward ensuring that these types of stories are less common. Since 2002, Prevention on the Go has provided more than 118,000 screenings in local communities and detected nearly 900 cancers. As a testament to their important work, Mary Bird Perkins is a recipient of Gilead Sciences’ Oncology Grant Program, an initiative aimed at advancing health equity for people impacted by cancer. In 2024, Gilead announced an overall commitment of $5 million in grant funding, spread across a number of different organizations, to support additional health equity programs globally. To date, it has awarded more than $18 million in health equity-related oncology grants for programs that advance health equity for disinvested communities.

This support has been integral in helping Mary Bird Perkins expand their Prevention on the Go efforts and expand their overall programming. “In cancer care, collaboration is really important,” Dr. Blunt emphasizes. “The more stakeholders we have at the table, the more resources we have. Partnerships help us improve access, make sure our technologies are up to date and continue to provide great care to the communities that need it. Support from organizations like Gilead allows us to put patient care first.”